Steve Gleason honored with statue outside Superdome

The blocked punt that etched Steve Gleason into Saints lore and became symbolic of New Orleans’ resilience in the face of disaster is now immortalized in a 9-foot statue outside the Superdome. “That statue is not about football,” former Washington State Cougar Gleason, straining to speak because of the effects of ALS, said at the formal unveiling on Friday. “It’s a symbol of the commitment and perseverance that this community took on before that game. So that statue is a symbol of what they did.” Gleason famously blocked the ball off of the foot of then-Atlanta punter Michael Koenen and into the end zone for a Saints touchdown on Sept. 25, 2006, the night the rebuilt Superdome and the city of New Orleans hosted an NFL game for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. – Associated Press